The Wheel and Axle

It’s such great timing! The customized Funko Pops that I had made for In and Sun, two of my favorite Thai BL characters, were delivered just a few days before the 24th birthday of Pluem Purim.

Pluem, of course, played the character of In in My Dear Loser: Edge of 17, while Chimon Wachirawit played Sun opposite him. The characters did small cameos in My Dear Loser: Happy Ever After before fully reprising the roles (and tying loose ends) in the second episode of the Our Skyy anthology, Our Skyy: #InSun.

There have been so much merchandise for other GMMTV properties, so it’s always been a frustration of mine that these two underrated characters have not been given much attention. Now, I had learned about a Funko customizer last year whom I commissioned to create customized Funko Pops of me and my friends. So this year, I decided to again commission from Oda Exclusive Custom Pops: In and Sun funkos!

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Today, Pluem Purim / ปุริม รัตนเรืองวัฒนา (my fave Thai actor, if that weren’t obvious by now to people who know me) celebrates his 24th birthday!

I’ve mentioned in the past how much I admire this young man not just for his acting talent but also for his generosity. He regularly sponsors charity work, and he is hands-on as he himself goes out there. This year, Project #PluemPurim24thBD aims to again provide help to those affected by COVID-19.

I’ve read that folks in GMMTV consider Pluem as the nicest guy in their talent pool, and from what I’ve seen following his career, I believe them. As Pluem grows a year older, I know he’ll continue to shine.

สุขสันต์วันเกิด, Nong ปลื้ม!

สุขสันต์วันเกิด, Nong Pluem! Happy 23rd birthday, Purim Rattanaruangwattana!

Anyone who knows me well knows that I watch a lot of Thai series, especially BL, and that Pluem Purim is my favorite Thai actor. Starting with Slam Dance, I followed him to My Dear Loser / Our Skyy, the critically-acclaimed Happy Birthday: The Series, and the recent One Night Steal. I’ve also seen many of his past works, including Grean Fictions, Greanhouse, Siam Square, and others.

I first met Pluem in person at Chiang Mai Airport during my birthday vacation in 2018.

Since then, I’ve met him again twice.

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As is obvious from the last prior post I published, it’s been a long time since I’ve updated my blog. I’ve been busy at work, but the current quarantine situation has basically told me: no more excuses.

I’ve been meaning to post reviews about the massive number of Thai BL series I’ve been following as well as travel blogs about BL-related places I’ve been to from SOTUS, My Dear Loser: Edge of 17, TayNew Meal Date, and others in the last couple of years. Another overdue post would be about the Our Skyy: Fan Meeting in Taipei which I went to in July 2019. Watch out for those!

In the meantime, while I gear up to get into all of that, I wrote another article for Esquire PH, this time to talk about Thai BL: what its literary roots are, what its cultural context is, and how it has evolved.

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Happy 22nd birthday, P’Pluem!

I remain a huge fan of this guy. After his birthday last year, I was fortunate enough to have met him in person in Chiang Mai during my own birthday trip. Hoping for that again later this year, fingers crossed.

And ever since both Happy Birthday the Series and Our Skyy ended, I’ve been looking forward to One Night Steal. That’ll be a hoot since it’s also got Krist, even if it’s basically Just My Luck in Thai.

Maybe in 2020, we can finally see a new #InSun-dedicated series. Our Skyy left us wanting so much more; perhaps a series that intertwines the “what happened in between” and the “where are they now.”

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15 August 2018.

Originally posted on my Facebook account. I was on vacation in Thailand – first in Bangkok, then Chiang Mai. I never thought I’d ever get this opportunity, but wow.

Ok, forgive this fanboy moment, but I’ve been such a huge fan of Pluem Purim ever since Slam Dance the Series. Yes, I do watch Thai soaps and shows. Sue me.

Yesterday, I found out from the fan club’s IG that he’s flying from Chiang Mai to Bangkok tonight, several hours before our own flight to Bangkok (where we would stay until Friday before flying home to the Philippines).

So I went for it.

He’s really nice and personable with the fans there. It was definitely worth the effort seeing him in person, and it was a nice thing to have experienced on my birthday vacation trip!

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Pluem Purim turns 21 today, May 21st, during the 21st century (as my friend André said).

I’ve been a huge fan of Thai actor Pluem Purim Rattanaruangwattana (okay, let’s call him Pluem) since last year. I first saw him on Slam Dance, where he played Ryu.

Interject: Slam Dance made me a fan of Thai-seryes – which I find more interesting than Koreanovelas and all the other Asian imports. I find that the Thai are less uptight about solid LGBT stories, something woefully lacking in much of Asian soaps and series.

Back to Pluem.

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I just love this clip that showed up on my newsfeed recently. Apparently, it’s from a Thai TV series called Slam Dance, which now I need to watch in full. With subtitles, hopefully.

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Really, these Thai boys. They just make your day.

… but still different.

If ever I decide to migrate out of the Philippines, Thailand is definitely one of the primary options (aside from Colombia, Bulgaria, and Australia). The culture is so similar, the food is so awesome, and it already does feel like home.